They Aren't What They Seem
by Marina
Summary: Okay, here we go again. Harry's fifth year and strange things are happening...again...pleeaassee R/R I might not continue this if you don't like it. Well, read and (hopefully) enjoy!!
1. Default Chapter Title

A/N: I'm not sure how good this will be. This will be my second fic and I'm hoping it is going to be drama but my stories are... well you figure it out. Ok no one belongs to me except Melantha Largist, Damara Brockston, Elijah Drake, and Tierney Casar. That's all and enjoy and be kind and review.  
  
  
They Aren't What They Seem  
  
~Evil isn't a comsmological riddle, only just selfish human behavior~  
  
Albus Dumbledore stood motionless at the front entrance of Hogwarts. He gazed at the sky...waiting. At last his search was rewarded. A dard figure was flying over the horizon. The figure flew lower and lower until her feet brushed the grass. She climbed off her broom and strode forward, stopping when she was right in front of Dumbledore.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts."  
  
"Thank you Professor." Her voice was definatly femimine, but a tone or two lower. She lowered the hood of her cloak and held out a hand. "Tierney Casar."  
  
~~^~~@  
  
For only the forth time, Harry Potter saw the Sorting. In his second and third years he had missed it. The novelty wore off after awhile, his startilingly green eyes traveled around the room. He glanced up at the Teacher's Table. Dumbledore was watching the first years with a kind of pride, while Snape at his right would scowl at every new Gryffindor. McGonagall looked as stern as ever while she called out names, and Flitwick didn't seem to have gotten any taller. Harry was about to look back at the Sorting when he saw a flicker of black. Looking back he saw a different teacher. She was sitting beside Flitwick and her eyes were constatly looking everywhere, as if she was drinking in all the details. Her pitch black hair shone iridensilantly with purple and was wrapped around her head in a braid. Her skin was ivory, all in all she was the look of perfection with small and perfect lips. Suddenly, her eyes locked with Harry's. Harry froze, they were creepy and made his skin crawl with goosebumps. Their vertically slit pupils were surrounded by a poisinous yellow-green. Quickly, Harry stared back at his plate.  
  
"What's wrong, Harry?"   
  
Hermione's voice whispered in his ear. He looked up to see both Ron and Hermione studying him.  
  
"Look at the new Professor."   
  
Simotaneously they both turned to look up and the professor, but she never looked back.  
  
"So?" Ron said.  
  
"I know she's pretty Harry, but..."   
  
"No!" Harry whispered," Did you see her eyes?"  
  
Hermione sighed and looked back up. The Professor looked back, this time she gazed back with a gray colored stare.  
  
~~^~~@  
  
Harry stared at the canopy of his bed in the Gryffindor fifth year boy's dormitory. All around him the snores of his classmates told him they were asleep. Lucky, Harry thought bitterly. The new Professor, Professor Casar, kept him awake. Ron and Hermione were still totally unconvinced and even Harry, himself was starting to believe them. He had gone to ed early and saw them turn their backs to him and start whispering quietly. Harry knew what they were going to chalk this up to. His ordeal with Voldemort last year. He flipped over and buried his face in his pillow, waiting for sleep.  
  
~~^~~@  
  
"Fifth year schedules." Seamus Finnigan said, handing Harry a pile of papers. He took one and gave the stack to Ron, who handed them to Hermione.  
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Harry said. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione and Ron look at each other and then at him. A long and uneasy silence reigned for the rest of the breakfast.  
  
~~^~~@  
  
Hermione led the way into the DADA room and headed for the back. The new Professor was sitting crosslegged on her desk, staring in a mirror and occasionally prodding it and muttering. The bell rung and her head snapped up. She put down the mirror and picked up a sheet of parchment.  
  
"Brown, Lavendar."  
  
"Here." Lavendar said. The Professor's eyes scrutinized Lavendar before she called the next name. She did htat for every person. Finally, she reached Harry.  
  
"Potter, Harry."   
  
"Here." Harry called confidently. Her eyes once again locked on his. Suddenly, the pupils stretched, vertically and a hint of yellow-green colored the bland gray irises. She blinked and they were once again a normal gray. She looked away first and turned to a book on her desk.  
  
"No intoductions are needed so please turn to page 237 in your books." She said. The doorknob turned and a big black dog pushed its way into the room.  
  
"Snuffles." Ron hissed. Harry nodded. The dog went over to the desk and planted its forepaws on the desk edge and offered an envelope to her. She took it with a wrinkled nose.  
  
"You could've tried harder to keep it dry." The dog seemed to roll its eyes. "Just go in my office." The dog scratched and whined at the door. "Oh, yeah I keep it locked." She pointed a finger at the door and a soft click sounded and the door swung open. The dog padded in and disappeared, "Anyway, where were we?" She asked to a very confused class.  
  
  
~~^~~@  
  
"I don't get it." Harry said.  
  
"Don't get what." Ron said distractidly.  
  
"Why Sirius is still here." Harry said.  
  
"Well, he never left, right?" Ron said finally looking at him.  
  
"He was supposed to," Harry said," During the summer he wrote and said that he was leaving to do some work."   
  
The two trudged up to the seventh floor Divination classroom, leaving Hermione somewhere on the fourth. They approched the silvery ladder. Ron sighed,  
  
"We should call this the ladder of doom." Harry grinned and started climbing into the stifleing classroom.  
  
"Front or back?"   
  
"Are you kidding?" Ron snorted and made a beeline to the back. Unfortuently, their table was occupied by a girl they didn't know.  
  
"Is there anyone sitting here?" Harry asked. Without looking at them she shook her head. Ron shrugged and they sat down.   
  
"Ahh, once again you asend to the Relm of Mystery..." Professor Trelawny declared from somewhere behind the mist and incense.   
  
"More like the Realm of False Readings." Ron whispered loudly.  
  
Trelawny continued, pointidly ignoring Ron, "For your third and wonderful year, we will be moving on to more advanced ways of Seeing," (Parvati and Lavendar gasped), "but first we have another among us. Then after an evil woman enters and leaves this room we will review crystal ball gazing and maybe have each other read fortunes." Most of the class was in awe, except Ron and Harry.  
  
"Evil woman?" Ron asked quietly to Harry.  
  
"McGonagall, no doubt, they hate each other." Harry whispered back and Ron looked as if a light had turned on upstairs.  
  
"Now," Trelawny breathed, "Shall we meet our new member?" She glided out of the mist to their table, where Damara was scowling at the table. "Stand up and tell us about yourself." Damara pushed her chair out and stood up with an annoyed glance at Trelawny.  
  
"I was transferred here from Romania and I don't really want to be here." Damara plopped down and scowled openly at the Professor. She chose to ignore this too and stated quite loudly.  
  
"I sense a great amount of Aura around you."  
  
"That would be why I was top of my Divination class." Damara hissed with a look that rivaled one of Snape's. Harry and Ron grinned at each other.  
  
Suddenly, there was a small tap on the trapdoor.  
  
"The evil woman!" Seamus hissed loudly. Trelawny made her way over to the trapdoor and opened it wide. Professor Casar climbed up into the classroom, her hair shifting eerily from black to purple and back.  
  
"Yes, what do you need Tierney?" Trelawny asked faintly.  
  
"I was just wondering if you had any tea left that I could have, I've decided to do some tea leaf reading." Professor Casar finished uneasily noticeing that the class was completely silent and staring only at her. After receiving the tea from Trelawny it was with great haste the Professor Casar left.  
  
"I suppose this means that we'll move onto crystal ball gazing." Trelawny continued.  
  
"Great." Ron whispered.  
  
~~^~~@  
  
Harry and Ron met Hermione in the Great Hall for lunch. After lunch they filled Hermione in on the scene in the Divination tower.   
  
"Weird, yeah." Hermione said shrugging, " but nothing to worry about. I mean we know she's a fake, all those things were cowinsodences."  
  
"What about when she went all funny in our third year and it really happened?" Harry protested.  
  
"She didn't 'go all funny' then, did she?" Hermione asked.  
  
"No." Ron said from the other side of Harry.  
  
"Then she was just guessing." Hermione said smugly.  
  
"But." Harry started, but found himself backed into a corner.  
  
"Hurry up and get your books," Hermione said, " We've got double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs.  
  
~~^~~@  
  
They entered Greenhouse 3 to find Sprout picking the teeth out of a plant in front of her. She looked up to see the student's horrified expressions.  
  
"Oh, don't worry, those are for the sixith years." She said brightly, "Today we'll be working with these." Professor Sprout pulled a humungus tree out from a corner. The class filed over and gathered around the tree.  
  
"See how the bark peels off?" Sprout asked as the tree shivered, "That's good but you don't want to get any that is too attched or..." She trailed off and pointed up. The branches lowered threatingly to show spikes a foot long.  
  
"Something tells me we're over our heads," Ron said shuddering.  
  
"Heck, I'd rather be picking teeth off a plant that's half my size and no thorns." Harry muttered. Hermione was at a loss for words. Professor Sprout began moving through the class counting people off.  
  
"Sorry." Sprout apologized, "I had to do this, because it's the only way to make it fair. Odds are at the table and I'll talk to you in a minute. Evens follow me." Ron and Hermione said goodbye (Who know if I'll see you again) and were given gloves, tweezers, a bag, and a pillow to tie around their waists.  
  
"Hello Harry." Harry jumped and quickly swiveled around to see Justin Finch-Fletchly.  
  
"Oh, hi Justin." A girl's giggle made him look to see the girl beside Justin.  
  
"Harry, meet the student from America."  
  
"Melantha Largist." She said shyly, looking at him from behind blonde curls. She blinked and Harry looked closer. Her eyes were amber in color.  
  
"Harry Potter." Harry said holding out his hand.  
  
"Harry." She repeated almost making it sound like it was something delicious. Harry decided to stay as far as possible that wouldn't look like he was being rude.  
  
"Ok," Sprout clapped her hands together happily, "You'll be looking for imperfections in the bark the pickers and picking."   
  
Harry and the others set to work, occasionally hearing the rustle of leaves or a muffled squeak of someone who had barely missed a thorn. The class had a good laugh when Sprout proclaimed loudly,  
  
"No, Granger, you cannot drop Herbology." Eventually the bell rang and there was mad dash for the door. Hermione made it out first and was steadying herself against the greenhouse wasll.  
  
"There is no way you can get me back in that place again."  
  
"Oh come on Herm."  
  
"Don't call me Herm." She hissed.  
  
"You've been up against worse and you've freaking out because of a plant?" Ron continued.  
  
"There was something else that wasn't right in there. Besides weren't you worried if you had a tree about to impale you the moment you did one thing wrong?"   
  
"Calm down, we had a pillow." Ron said shrugging.  
  
She snorted, " Oh, I felt safe with a pillow 6 inches thick against a thorn a foot long."  
  
"Ooookaayy." Ron said.  
  
"What do we have next?" Harry asked quickly.  
  
~~^~~@  
  
Weeks passed and soon October arrived with chill winds and gray skys. Quidditch tryouts came and went and soon Gryffindor had a winning team. Harry was Seeker, Fred and George Weasley were the Beaters, and the new Chaser was Damara Brockston accompanied by Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell. The new Keeper was a 2nd year bye the name of Elijah Drake.  
  
Harry did notice that everyday Sirius arrived (as a dog) with an envelope for Professor Casar.  
  
"I'm going." Harry announced the night of Halloween.  
  
"Going where, Harry?" Ron asked after instructing a pawn in front of him.  
  
"Hey? My knight!" Harry exclaimed then added more calmly, "I'm going to see Proffessor Casar."  
  
"Why would you want to do that?" Ron asked, " I mean we know that you were favored by all the other DADA teachers. You can give up on trying for all the teachers."  
  
"No, I want to ask her about Snuffles." Harry said, "Are you coming with me?"  
  
Ron suddenly looked very uncomfortable, "No thanks, I'm ... um... going to stay here and see if Hermione will play a few chess games with me."  
  
Odd, Harry thought, but he shrugged and headed out of the portrait hole.  
  
~~^~~@  
  
Harry shivered and wrapped his robe more tightly around himself. He reached the DADA classroom and knocked.  
  
"Come in Harry." He started when she said his name but continued on in. "Have a seat." She said engrossed in the tea cup before her. Harry looked at the bare floor and was wondering if he should point out that there wasn't a seat when the floor buckled and molded a new chair. He sat.  
  
"Signs of death. Let's see, the Grim. Death by torture. A vial, probably truth. Hmm, yes very interesting, a short lifespan." The professor's face looked crest fallen. "I never get happy cups. This is my fifth one too." Harry stared at her. She looked at him oddly, "Would you like some tea?" She grimiced, "I'm afraid I can't join you." She crossed her legs.  
  
"Umm, sure." Harry stammered. The kettle, itself, poured him some tea.  
  
"When you're done with it swill the dregs 3 times with your left hand and I'll read your cup."   
  
Harry nodded and looked around her office. She had a foe mirror sitting on a table in a corner along with a Sneakoscope and others he wasn't quite sure what they were.  
  
"I believe you had something to ask me?"  
  
"Oh, yeah , I do." Harry said putting down the cup, " I just wanted to know why Sirius Black is here. And I was wondering if I could talk to him?"  
  
Casar's eyes flitted around the room. "Sirius Black, I didn't think the Ministry... " She trailed off nervously playing with a quill.  
  
"I know that he was never caught, I know about this whole thing. I mean... I was pretty sure about who that dog was."   
  
She looked relieved, "Oh, so you know, ok, well you just missed him, sorry."  
  
Harry sighed and drained the cup and quickly swirling it with his left hand.  
  
"I'd better leave then."  
  
"Don't you want to hear what your cup has to say?" Casar asked polietly.  
  
"Not really," Harry muttered, " Mine are never anything good."  
  
"That's because Trelawny is a pessimest and a dramatizer," She said with a twinkle in her eyes. Their eyes locked and her pupils stretched and yellow-green became a dominent color. Harry looked away quickly and sat back down. From now on he was people's noses when they talked. Professor Casar leaned back and draped her legs over the chair's arms.  
  
"Hmm, you've got a powerful enemy, you've got a secret that you haven't shared with anyone, let's see, a sword, that means you've got guts and rise to any challenge. Ugh, you will lose something and then get it back, greater than before."  
  
"Odd." Was all Harry could say.  
  
"Definatly." Professor Casar nodded,"Is there anything else I can do for you?"  
  
Harry looked over her shoulder at the table, " Are you an Auror."  
  
She grinned, " So you noticed. Yeah, though not quite officially."  
  
"How can you not be offical?" Harry asked confused.  
  
"It's more of a pastime," She said getting up and moving to the table and fingering the Sneakoscope,"...obsession, I guess you could call it."  
  
"A foe glass." Harry said picking up the mirror.  
  
"Yeah, its really been annoying me lately," Professor Casar said fingering her black-purple hair thoughtfully, "I keep seeing something...a girl?...no, but anyway it keeps changing. Somedays I'll just see an owl or cat staring back at me, clear as can be." She was now chewing on her hair.  
  
"What's this?" Harry asked, picking up a sphere that was constantly changing color and depth.  
  
"Oh, this, you just hope it never does..." She stopped midsentence as the stuff inside turned instantly black then flared a brilliant white that momentarily blinded Harry. When the light died down Professor Casar was dashing for the door.  
  
"Come on Harry I have a feeling I might need you." They sprinted through the castle, and rocketed down to the dungeons. Casar comae to a dead stop in front of a bare wall. She swore.  
  
"I never remember the password!" Harry took the chance to lean over and catch his breath. He didn't have much time before Slytherin students were pouring out, some screaming, some crying. Professor Casar grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him with her against the flow of students. Harry, still not understanding what was going on, was amazed that Malfoy didn't say anything as Harry passed him. Do anything for that matter, Malfoy was merely staring around in shock. Casar evidently got what she wanted because she once again dragged Harry by the arm up to a 2nd year girl's dormitory. Professor led the way to the back corner where a girl was slumped.  
  
"Dead." Pronounced Casar without checking. Harry opened his mouth to ask how she knew. Casar lifted a hand to silence him.  
  
"That ball was a deathoscope. It flashes like that when an evil murder has happened."  
  
"Clam down." Dumbledore's voice floated up to them. "Flitwick, take these students to the Great Hall, they will stay there for the night. Vector, all students are to report and stay in their common rooms." There was the sound of feet and the door opened.  
  
"Potter!" Snape hissed, a smile starting on his greasy face, evidently he thought he had finally caught the famous Harry Potter in the act.  
  
"Tierney?" Dumbledore asked putting a gently hand on Professor Casar's back.  
  
"The Deathoscope." She snapped. Anger seemed to boil around her, her eyes turning the feral yellow-green that he had seen before. Harry looked around the room. The other teachers noticed too, escpcially Snape, his face a deathly pale and on it an expression of fear was etched into every part of his face. Dumbledore only watched with calculation in his eyes.  
  
"I could have prevented it, goddammit!" She exploded throwing a punch at the hard stone wall...but her arm kept going all the way up to her elbow.  
  
"Holy shit, there's something in here."   
  
  
A/N2: oops, you thought I was done. Welll , what do you think? I need your reviews if I get enough people saying they want more I will type more, if not then I just won't complete it. (please review) I also want to say that the quote isn't mine it's Joyce Carol Oates, whoever she is. I also want to thank Mirielle for her 'professional' advice. He he! Well ,hope you liked it!  
  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

A/N: Sorry it took me so long but hey school started and I am up to my eyeballs in work so please be patient. If you haven't read this before I strongely suggest you read the first part of the series first. I'm thinking about maybe 2 maybe 3 more parts so bare with me. R/R please!!!!  
  
They Aren't What They Seem  
  
  
Snakes poured out of the hole in the wall. Her now gray eyes lit up. "Harry, see if you can talk to them."  
  
"But..." Harry protested.  
  
"Just start talkin' boy."  
  
"Uh, okay." Harry stuttered. "Stop!" He comanded in Parseltongue. The snakes stopped dead and swiveled to look at him. "Why are you here?" Harry hissed.  
  
"Massster." One said.  
  
"Order to ssssstay here." Another said.  
  
"We were to ssssssee how you react." Snakes bobbed their heads in agreement.  
  
"Plansssss to kill agai---" The last snake was cut off by a larger one.  
  
"You idiotsssss thesse are our enemiessss!"  
  
"But the boy." One protested.  
  
"He can undersssstand ussss." Another agreed.  
  
"He'sssss Harrry Potter," The largest hissed, "He'ssss the one sssshe warned of. Now let'sss get out of here!"  
  
Before Harry could stop them the snakes had dissappeared. Suddenly, he remembered he was in a room full of teachers and not friends having a chat.  
  
"Well, Harry?" Dumbledore asked. Harry looked back at Snape who looked absolutely disgusted. Harry explained what he had heard when Professor Casar once again broke in.  
  
"Perfectly brilliant! Plant something small and easily mistaken for pets or a nuisence to report so the murderer doesn't have to stick around!"  
  
"Especially when Volemort's (several teachers flinched) specialty is Parseltoungue." Harry finished.  
  
"Very good, Harry." Dumbledore said, "Tierney? Would you take Harry back to the Gryffindor Common Room?"  
  
~~^~~~@  
  
"Snape was scared!?" Ron asked incredously.  
  
"Ssshh." Hermione hissed, glancing around to see if anyone had heard. Harry hd been personly escorted by Professsor Casar to the Gryffindor Tower and he had instantly told Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Something tells me that Snape knows something about her." Ron said.  
  
"Don't go visit her anymore," Hermione said urgently, "Between Trelawny and Snape..."  
  
"Herm!"  
  
She glared at Ron.  
  
"Mione, I thought you didn't believe Trelawny?"  
  
Hermione sniffed indignatly, "I don't, but one has to make exceptions."  
  
"She's right Ron, I mean Snape freaked." Harry pointed out. Ron opened his mouth to protest but Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell (captain and assis. Captain) announced,  
  
"Team, to, bed there will still be a game tomarrow against Ravenclaw."   
  
Harry said goodnight to Ron and Hermione and went up to bed, hopeing to forget tonight.  
  
~~~^~~@  
  
"Harry!" Someone called. Then that someone gave him a hard shove and he toppled out of his four-poster bed.  
  
"Oops." Came Ron's voice as Harry felt him push his glasses into his hand.  
  
"You're mental," Harry yawned, "What time is it?"  
  
"Ten-thirty." Ron announced.  
  
Harry groaned, the game started in a half an hour. He quickly changed into his scarlett Quidditch robes and grabbed his Firebolt before heading downstairs.  
  
~~~^~~@  
  
The stands were packed.  
  
"Ok team we have a kick butt team so let's go out there and kick some blue butt!" Alicia and Katie yelled. The rest of the team roared and headed out to meet the Ravenclaws already lined up.  
  
"And here comes the new Gryffindor team: Potter, Drake, Brockston, Spinnet, Bell, Weasley, and Weasley!" Lee Jordan said into the magical microphone.  
  
"Captains, shake hands, mount your brooms." The whistle blew and 15 brooms rose into the air. Harry shot off, searching for a bit of gold. He didn't really hear the commentary, but he did notice Cho Chang was close behing him, smiling sweetly. Harry almost smiled back. He shook his head and scowled, she was not going get the Snich.  
  
"Gryffindor's Score!!!" Jordan yelled.  
  
"Uh oh." Ron said looking through the omnioculars Harry had bought him at the Quidditch World Cup. "Harry's up against Cho Chang."  
  
"Oh crap." Hermione hissed, focusing on Harry's face, "Wait a sec, he's scowling at her!" They grinned at each other.  
  
"Excessive use of elbows!" Hooch cried blowing her whistle. Harry looked up to see Damara argueing with Hooch. "Penalty for Ravenclaw!" Hooch continued.  
  
"Go to Hell." Harry heard her say.  
  
"Two penalties to Ravenclaw!" Hooch proclaimed. The first one was blocked by Drake but the second one got through.  
  
"Gryffindor leads with 60 points and Ravenclaw trailing with30. And Bell is off..." Lee Jordan said.  
  
Damara zoomed past Harry, "Don't let that bitch get to you." She hissed. Harry nodded and put on a burst of speed.   
  
"How ya doin'?" Fred asked befor hitting a Bludger toward a Ravenclaw Chaser. Harry grinned at Fred but thought something was odd about that Bludger. After a moments hestitation, and ignoreing the roaring crowd (Gryffindor had just scored) Harry shot off after the black ball and following it on its reckless path through the field.  
  
"Wait what's Potter doing?" Lee cried, "Is he off his rocker? Following a Bludger!?" The Bludger came to a dead stop, Harry going too fast to slow down, passed the Bludger and reached out his hand and grabbed the Snitch.  
  
"I've got it!" Harry yelled throwing up his fist.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR WINS!!! 70 TO 30!!!!!" Harry saw Cho staring at him in astonishment, then she came over and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Good job, Harry." She said before joining her Ravenclaw teammates. A thump on Harry's back almost dismounted him, but it was only Fred and George. Soon, the rest of the team was over, yealling themselves hoarse.  
  
Ron jumped up from his seat. "Alright Harry!" Hermione was dancing with Parvati when Ron threw his arms around her and twirled her around and gave her a peck on the cheek. When he put her down she was staring at him.  
  
"What was that for?" She asked. Ron blushed and shrugged.  
  
"I dunno, come on we've got to congratulate Harry." They raced down to find Harry.  
  
~~^~~~@  
  
The days passed quickly and soon it was Christmas morning and the Gryffindor Tower was relativly empty. Hermione sat on the couch in front of the unlit fire in the common room, already dressed. She heard a loud thumping and Harry and Ron appeared, both in pajamas, with presents in their arms.  
  
"Merry Christmas Hermione!" Harry called before dumping his present into her lap.  
  
"Thanks." She said grinning, "Here I got you guys presents." She handed out their presents. There was the sound of ripping and then 'thanks' all around. Hermione had gotten 'Hogwarts: A Revised History' from Harry and a box of chocolate frogs from Ron. Harry had gotten Code -Writing Ink from Hermione and a Screaming Yo-Yo from Ron. Ron had gotten Code-Writing Ink from Hermione and a book from Harry on 'How to Improve Your Old Broom's Preformance: A Few Simple Spells'.  
  
Christmas Day passed quickly and giddily. It ended in an all -round- chess match in which Ron dominated.  
  
"Another game?" Ron asked after having beaten Harry for the 4th time.  
  
"No thanks." Harry said, "I'm going to bed. We do have to go back to classes tomarrow."  
  
Ron groaned, "Don't remind me."  
  
~~~^~~@  
  
The three friends made their way to their first class, DADA. When they entered they noticed a distinct change of atmosphere of the room. It was freezing in the room, the windows were thrown open and snow was blowing in. Harry shivered, something wasn't right. Professor Casar was staring, unblinking, into her foe glass. He heard her mutter,  
  
"Damned owl." The bell rung and all the Gryffindors took their seats. Casar looked up, tiredly and put down the foe glass.  
  
"Read chapter 5 and I want an essay by Monday." She said flatly.  
  
"Uh, Professor?" Seamus asked holding up his hand, "Could you close a window, it's a little cold."  
  
She looked back at him blankly. "It is?"  
  
"Yeah." Dean supplied. She closed the windows and went back to her desk and picked up an awfully familiar object and began to toss it back and forth.  
  
"Harry." Hermione hissed, "Why are you staring?"  
  
"The Deathoscope." Harry said.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.  
  
"The Deathoscope," Harry repeated as if Hermione and Ron were dense, " The only reason she'd have it out is if she knew something was going to happen." Hermione gaped.  
  
"Do you think so?"  
  
"I really don't..." tHe room filled with the brilliant flashing of the deathoscope as it stopped in its path and hovered before Casar. She tapped the glowing ball and then sprinted toward the door.  
  
"Potter." She called over her shoulder, " Come on." The class got up to come with them. "Uh uh." Professor Casar tsked, pointing her wand at the class, they froze in place. "Freezing Spell." She said to the unfrozen Harry. He nodded and sprinted out the door only glancing back once to see...Damara's face frozen in a grin.  
  
~~~^~~@  
  
When they arrived at the Hufflepuff common room to see it in comotion with Sprout in the middle offering what she could.  
  
"The others are already upstairs." Sprout called. They sprinted up to the boy's dormotories and found McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape all in a 3rd year's room.  
  
"Ah, Professor." Dumbledore greeted her.  
  
"Dead?"  
  
"Undoubtably." Dumbledore confirmed.  
  
"Did you try all the walls and floors?" Casar pryed.  
  
"That we did, do you think us stupid?" Snape hissed at her. She shot him a glare and Snape recoiled.  
  
"Any mark?" Casar asked, returning her attention to Dumbledore.  
  
"Absoulutely none, just like before." McGonagall answered for Dumbledore. "Sorry Professor."  
  
"Doesn't matter McGonagall, just saves this old man from the laborious task of moving my lips." Dumbledore said, winking at Harry. Snape looked over at Harry.  
  
"Potter!"  
  
"Yes, Professor?" Harry said.  
  
"What are..." Snape asked but was silenced by a look from Dumbledore.  
  
"Could have been a direct hit to the temple." Professor Casar voiced from the bed the 3rd year was on, "It would have been easy, painless, and left hardly any mark."  
  
McGonagall fingered her glasses, " The murder sure leaves a clean trail."  
  
Harry stepped forward to get a better look (even though his stomach strongly protested) when he kicked something. He bent over and squinted at the floor only to frown at what he kicked.  
  
"Not exactly." Harry said thinking of what McGonagall had said.  
  
"What do you mean Harry?" Dumbledore asked polietly.  
  
  
A/N: I don't own anyone except Damara, Casar, and Melantha and others that arent' in the book. Sorry long time no type plleeeeeaaasassse review. No Professor Casar isn't an Animagus just so ya know please stand by for more. Thanx: Marina.  
  
  
  



	3. Default Chapter Title

A/N: god, I had to type this my reviews were awesome thanx everyone! Oh and if anyone can tell me how I can save my font so it doesn't change when I post it on ff.net please e-mail me at mistressoftheparanormal@hotmail.com  
  
  
  
They Aren't What They Seem  
  
"A piece of parchment?" Ron said, his nose wrinkled in dissappointment. Harry had sprinted back after leaving the teachers to figure out where it had come from. Hermione sighed from the depths of her Arithmancy book.  
  
"Ron, Ron, Ron." She tsked.  
  
"What? I'm listening you don't have to call me three times."  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Think about it. Who knows what the killer might have wrote."  
  
"Or I t could be just a student who dropped it, who knows." Harry sighed.  
  
"What!?" Ron exclaimed, "You didn't stay to find out what it said?"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes, "I'd like to see how you take standing in the same room as a dead person, besides why would teachers let me see note."  
  
"Point taken." Ron said holding out his hands in mock defeat.  
  
"Think though," Hermione cut in, "The potions or spells that they could be using."  
  
"Well Harry," Ron said in a very patient voice that sounded like one of Harry's teachers before Hogwarts, "Be sure the ask Professor Casar."  
  
Harry snickered while Hermione groaned and buried her head in her book.  
  
~~~  
  
They soon pushed the two killings to the backs of their minds ,and for that matter,asking Casar about the parchment. Hermione was swamped with homework from Study of Ancient Runes and questions about homework from Ron and Harry. Harry moved through each day not really knowing or really caring about what happened around him, he and the team had to prepare for the match against Slytherin (they flattened Hufflepuff). Study times in the library became very frusterating to Harry. Ron was constantly complaining, and Hermione was constantly shuffling papers and opening and closing books. Harry had just finished an extremely long and boring History of Magic essay and asked Hermione to check it.  
  
"Where did you find this?" Hermione asked, "I don't remember reading it." Harry coughed and looked everywhere except at Hermione.  
  
"It was too boring so I glorified it a little bit."  
  
"Well, beside the other parts, its fine." Hermione said handing it back.  
  
"Pardon me?" A voice asked. All three looked up. It was Melantha Largist, the Hufflepuff, and she was flanked by her friends.  
  
"Um, hi." Harry said.  
  
"Hi, I thought...Well, I came to talk to Ron." She said wringing her hands. Ron's head snapped up.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Erm...I." She trailed off and the Hufflepuff girls giggled and urged her on, "I...I think you're cute. Will you go out with me?" Melantha finished huriddily. Ron blushed and looked as if he had slapped. His mouth opened and closed, searching for his voice.  
  
"Well ,sure." Melantha grinned widley and sat beside Hermione as the Hufflepuff girls disappered. Probably, spying, Harry thought. Ron looked as if he was in heaven. He was going out with the probably the prettiest girl in Hogwarts. Melantha played with a blonde curl and her amber eyes stared at Ron. Hermione looked over her book at Harry with a look of disgust...and maybe a little bit of jealousy. There was a long silence between the two as they both searched for something to say.  
  
"Erm...how was your school in America?" Ron finally asked. AS Melantha began to describe her school, Harry turned back to his homework. The potion's essay he started soon became distant in his mind when Melantha aburptly changed the subject.  
  
"That was freaky, what happened last week wasn't it?"  
  
"Yeah." Ron said.  
  
"Did you know the 3rd year or not?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Not really," She said shrugging. "I don't really know a lot of people here."  
  
"What I want to know," Ron declared, "Is how the killer got in." Harry had been wondering the same thing when another persone arrived.  
  
"God, its not that hard, especially here." Damara had arrived looking incredibly sulky. Her dark eyes swept over the table.  
  
"What do you mean?" Asked Hermione, who recovered first.  
  
"Well, Dumbledore didn't add anymore defenses to this old dumphead and the orginal defences didn't stop You-Know-Who for the last 5 years Harry has been at Hogwarts." Damara hissed. The table was dead silent. Damara rolled her eyes and stalked off. Melantha shivered.  
  
"She freaks me out." Ron nodded, watching Damara walk away. "Well I gotta go, I'll see you around Ron."  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you." Ron said distractidly.  
  
Hermione was frowning.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked.  
  
"I was thinking about what Damara said." Hermione started.  
  
"You're always thinking." Ron said.  
  
"Hush, Ron. Whaat about when 'Snuffles' was here he was an..."  
  
"Animagus!" Harry hissed, "The parchment he dropped with the passwords to the common room!"  
  
"What about the snakes, like last time?" Ron said, "Where are you going?" Harry had been hurridly packing his things into his bag.  
  
"I've got to speak to..." but he was already out of the library and sprinting down the hall.  
  
~~~  
  
  
Harry arrived at Professor Casar's classroom in 2 min. flat. He slowed to a walk and paused outside her half-open office door. Harry raised his hand to knock but she interupted.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Harry stepped in, "I've found something out."  
  
"As have I." She said looking up. Their eyes locked and her eyes changed. It had happened so many times that Harry felt he should be getting used to it but it still sent shivers running up his spine.  
  
"Have a seat and let me tell you what I've found." Harry nodded and sat. She poured him a cup of tea and also one for herself. She sat across from him and took a long sip before beginning.  
  
"I took the parchment, no matter how simple and stupid it was for the person to drop it." Casar grinned. It was only then that he noticed she was thin and haggard. Her cheekbones were prominent against ivory skin. "And all that I found was... nothing no passwords or potions. What I did find was classes and assignments which means...it's a Hogwarts student."  
  
"What if the student was an animagi?" Harry suggested.  
  
"That's what I thought of next. What if the absent minded killer/student was clumsy enough to do that?"  
  
"Then I guess I wasn't any help." Harry said.  
  
"Well, not totally, I'm kind of sick of this, I just want to sleep, but..." Professor Casar struggled with words, "I just can't. My mind keeps going, thinking I could help, I can prevent this."   
  
Harry finished his cup and swirled it, not knowing how to comfort a teacher so instead he offered her his cup, "You want to read my fortune?"  
  
Professor Casar looked up and smiled wryly, "That's another thing I'm sick of. My tea leaves and crystal ball like to show me the way I'm going to die when it knows goddamn well that I want answers. And I'm never going to look at my foe glass again. It teases me, it mocks my pain, it shows me animals!" Tears glistened on her face and plopped wetly on the papers before her.  
  
"Harry, perhaps you should leave." Harry jumped, he hadn't heard Dumbledore enter. Harry nodded, set down his cup and took his leave.  
  
~~~  
  
Hermione scribbled furiously on a piece of parchment.  
  
"Ron, you're not helping me any."  
  
"Sorry." He said, "I was just thinking."  
  
"About who?" Hermione asked slyly.  
  
Ron glared at her, "About what, you wanted help and I'm thinking."  
  
"Helping? You haven't contributed one thing." Hermione said heatidly.  
  
"Well, this takes a lot of thought, exactly what I'm giving if." Ron spat.  
  
"You don't have to strain you brain anymore, because I'm done." Hermione said.  
  
"Good, then I'll go for a walk." Growled Ron.  
  
"Fine, go ahead, see if I care." Hermione sniffed. Ron glared at her and stalked over to the portrait hole, pushed it open and left.  
  
~~~  
  
Harry found Hermione slumped over her homework, head in her arms. He leaned over close,  
  
"Hermione?" Her head shot up and hit Harry square on the nose.  
  
"Oww. Geez, Hermione."   
  
"Sorry Harry." She apologized, her brown eyes downcast.  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"Oh, you know, the normal, me and Ron fighting. Nothing to worry about." Hermione replied nonchanlanlty. Harry nodded and decided to let it go eventhough it looked like she was worrying about it. Harry instead told her about his brief conversation with Casar.  
  
"She blames herself." Hermione said shortly, balling up the piece of parchment and lobbing it toward the fire. It rolled up to the fire and the coals singing it but didn't burst into flame.  
  
"Come on let's go to dinner." Hermione said getting up.  
  
"Hang on let me put my books away." Harry hurried up the stairs to the boy's dormitories and dumped his books on his bed. On his way back to Hermione he picked up the paper she had thrown in the fire and pocketed it.  
  
***  
  
Ron found his steps taking him to the library. He walked in and looked around.  
  
"I'm glad you came." A voice whispered in his ear before a fog entered his mind.  
  
  
**  
  
After supper Harry retired to one of the chairs by the fire while Hermione went to her room. Perfect, Harry thought now he could read the note. He carefully unwrinkled it and read:  
  
Year 1: DADA teacher  
Year 2: Book  
Year 3: Animagi  
Year 4: DADA teacher  
Year 5 Speculations: Prof. Casar,   
  
Hermione hadnt' finished but it was quite clear who she thought was killing students. Harry decided to talk to her. He slipped up the stairs to the girls dormitory (knowing that Fred and George would tease him unmercilessly if they saw him). He knocked.  
  
"Come in." Came Hermione's voice. Harry pushed it open.  
  
"I know I know, I shouldn't be in here."  
  
Hermione shrugged, "Who cares." She shoved some books off her bed and onto her floor, making room for Harry.  
  
"Thanks." Harry said. The room was trashed, clothes and some unmentionables were strewn everywhere. Harry blushed slightly. "Looks like someone lost something."  
  
Hermione snorted, "Lavendar was up half the night trying to find her very expensive Paris orginal shoes. Turns out she was wearing them."  
  
Harry shook his head as Hermione straightened and then jumped up.   
  
"Hey." Said Hermione, picking up a tube of lipstick. "Parvati ahs been looking for this for weeks." She took careful aim and threw it onto Parvati's bed. "Now what did you need?"  
  
"This." Harry said uncrumpling the singed piece of parchment.  
  
"I thought I burned that!" Hermione exclaimed reaching for it. Harry held it out of her reach.  
  
"Uh uh, not until you tell me what you mean by it."  
  
"That was not meant for children's eye's, like yours." Hermione lunged for it, successfully getting half of it. Unfortuently, she kept going and ended up with half of her draped over Harry's lap and the other half dangling over the side of her bed. Harry had a hard time stifleing his laughter and the erge to tickle the bare feet on his lap. There was giggling outside the door.  
  
"Oh crap." Hermione hissed and struggled to right herself. The door slammed back on it's hinges. Parvati and Lavendar had stopped giggling immediately.  
  
"Okayyyy." Lavendar choaked out.  
  
"We'll be leaving now." Parvati said biting her lip.  
  
"No. That's ok." Hermione said, grabbing Harry's wrist and dragging him past Parvati and Lavendar. Harry desperatly wished he had the guts to say, but Hermione I was quite comfortable in there, but he knew if he did the whole school would know by tomarrow.  
  
"What I want to know is why you have this?" Hermione asked severly when they had sat down at a table in the corner.  
  
"And I want to know is why you don't want me to have it?" Harry retorted.  
  
"I can't exactly tell you that your favorite teacher is killing students."  
  
"You can tell me that." Harry said. "And she is not my favorite teacher."  
  
"Oh yeah? Like I want you to be as mad as Ron is at me." Hermione said.  
  
"He can't be that mad." Harry said disbelieveing, "He's never gotten too mad about what you say to him.(Hermione rolled her eyes)By the way what did you say to him?"  
  
"Well, I kinda said something about him not helping and that started the whole thing, it ended with me saying something to the effect of 'don't strain your brain'."  
  
Harry stared at her. Ron get mad over that?"Where did he say he was going."  
  
"I dunno. He said a walk." Hermione said frowning, "He should be back by now, he would never miss supper." Harry turned and dashed out the portrait hole.  
  
**  
  
Ron, for the first time in awhile, felt heat on his front. It was actually the first time he'd felt anything for awhile. He began to feel more and more. He noticed green walls close on each side, the stick in his hands, and the cauldron sitting on a.... Ron looked up to see a tall figure looming over him.  
  
"Opps." The thing screetched, "I'll have to give you another dose, stupid boy." Thing was the only way to describe it. Its head switched constantly from animal to animal. First a tiger, then an owl, next a dog's. Ron quickly looked away fear rising in the back of his mind. Hands appeared before him, they too were changing. First claws, then paws held a wand, suddenly, a white fog clouded his mind, once more.  
  
**  
  
Harry returned late to the Gryffindor common room. Without Ron. Hermione was asleep in a chair by the fire. He gently punched her shoulder. Her eyes flew open.  
  
"Hermione. It's only me."  
  
"Oh hi." Hermione said slowly, "Did you find Ron?"  
  
"Nope." Harry said.  
  
"That's odd." Hermione said frowning.  
  
"Yeah ,well I'm tired. I've tried all 142 staircases. So Ron can wait for tomarrow." Harry grouched heading for the boy's dormitories.  
  
**  
  
The next morning Harry woke to see Ron sprawled on his bed, robes still on. Harry sniffed the air, a cloud of stench seemed to come directly from Ron. Harry coughed and quickly put his own robes on and hurried down to the common room. The few people he passed squrenched up their noses.  
  
"God Harry, what happened?" Hermione asked from behind him. Harry whirled sending a wave of odor. She coughed and reached out with her wand, tappin his robes and wheezing a word. The stink was distincly muffled and Harry wasn't the last person Hermione used the spell on. Even Ron showed.  
  
"Hey guys." He yawned.  
  
"Where were y..." Hermione started angerly until Harry clapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
"So where did you go last night." Harry said kindly.  
  
"Well I..." Ron scratched his head, "Oh, yeah I went to the library and talked to Melantha for awhile."  
  
"It's most certainly not safe!" Hermione exclaimed, "A killer roaming the school that they can't catch!"  
  
"Hermione!" Ron hissed, "You don't go yelling that to the whole world."  
  
"Let's just go get breakfast." Harry said smiling reassuridly at the first years before grabbing his friends' wrists and leading them down to the Great Hall.  
  
**  
  
Hermione's words spread like wildfire. Unlike Harry's second year now all students were walking in groups whispering rapidly to each other. The rumors got so out of control that Dumbledore had to make an announcement at supper. Teachers were even starting to crack. Potions was pure hell because Snape was in a constant rage. Several people joked that his face was frozen in the twisted expression it donned day and night. McGonagall as usual was trying to be rational about everything, but she was white faced and tight lipped constantly. Flitwick tolerated nothing in his class and began to teach more advanced charms for protection. Professor Casar was always thinking and barely paid attention to her own class she was supposed to be teaching. Trelawny on the other hand loved it. Besides telling Harry he was going to die she also liked to predict the supposed killer (who happened to sound a lot like a cross between McGonagall and Casar.) Harry was very thankful when the match against Slytherin drew near. Anything to get people's minds off the killings.  
  
**  
  
The night before found Ron quietly sneaking along a back passage way that led to the Gryffindor common room. Suddenly, he stopped, blinked and rubbed his eyes as if trying to clear a fog out of his mind. Then he remember where he was going. Gryffindor common room, he told himself. He really hoped Harry and Hermione were asleep, he hated all their questions. He didn't want to answer but something always came out. Ron shivered, he had only just realized it was cold. Ron blew on his stiff hands, trying ot fight the cold. He continued on, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Ron stopped again, suddenly, and pulled out a little vial that his hands had hit. He held it up to the light, it's clear contents sparkling serenly in its glass container. Ron frowned, what was it? It looked like Veritserum. Nevermind that, a little voice in his mind told him, just go to bed and sleep, but remember you have to up early tomarrow. Ron shook his head again, God he hated that voice. He knew that as soon as he fell asleep he would wake up within hours with the same horrible dram. The one with the thing in it. It never looked the same twice, constantly shifting. Ron shivered and headed on the little voice reminding him again. But why? Ron asked. He got no answer.  
  
  
  
A/N:Please Review!!! I know a lot of people don't want to but please try to. What will happen to Ron? Find out in the next and final chapter of They Aren't What They Seem. Also find out who Prof. Casar really is!!! By the way the characters aren't mine except the people I made up. Ciao.  
  
  
  



	4. Default Chapter Title

A/N: none of the characters are mine except for the ones I made up and all the other   
bull****.  
  
They Aren't What They Seem Part 4  
  
Harry rushed down to the Great Hall. Hermione and Ron had evidently already left. He   
walked down to see Ron and Hermione pleasently chatting until Melantha strutted over and   
whispered something into Ron's ear. As Ron paled, Harry frowned. Hermione was scowling.   
He walked over and slid in next to Ron.  
  
"Morning Ron." Harry said.  
  
"Hey." Ron mummbled back.  
  
"Ron? Are you o.k.?" Harry asked.  
  
"N---"   
  
"Ronnie, can I talk to you?" Melantha asked sweetly her blonde curls bouncing into her   
face.  
  
"Sure."  
  
Hermione's frown deepened as Ron stood and followed Melantha. "That's weird, she always   
wants to talk to him privatly.'  
  
Harry shrugged and grabbed his goblet, he took a sip noticeing that it was a bit thicker than   
usual. He set it down and reached for a piece of toast. It was all he managed to choke   
down because he was preoccupied with the Quidditch match.  
  
"Harry , you'd better go up and get your broom." Ron said as he returned from talking with   
Melantha.  
  
"Yeah." Hermione said, "We'll meet you at the field."  
  
"Ok, I'll see you in a little bit." Harry said nervously as he walked out the Great Hall and up   
the staircase. A Ravenclaw 4th year girl in front of Harry stopped suddenly. Harry didn't   
notice until he actually bumped into her. Her friends had kept going not noticeing either   
that she had stopped.  
  
"Oh, sorry." Harry said. She didn't answer but her hands flew to her throat. By this time   
her friends had noticed she wasn't with them. Suddenly, the girl swiveled and grabbed   
Harry's shoulders. Her mouth hung open and he heard her try to suck air. Desperatley,   
she mouthed 'Help me'. Harry stood dumbstrick. He was frozen. It was as if somebody   
shot down his ability to move. The girl had let go of him and was now clawing at her throat.   
Tears streamed down her face and her mouth hung open in a desperate attempt to breathe   
and scream. One of her friends screamed and that was when Harry realized the girl was   
dying. A few Ravenclaw girls ran for a teacher while Harrry stood there. He briefly   
remembered thinking and wondering if he was getting used to death. Once again, the girl's   
eyes locked on his. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes rolled widly. She sank to   
her knees and looked once more at Harrry before her eys stopped their circular travel and   
she crumples forward. And Harry just stood there.  
  
~~  
  
Harry blinked. He was in Dumbledore's office. The Snoring people were up and whispering   
to each other. His eyes traveled around the room. Dumbledore sat at his desk, he was   
deep in thought before the pensieve. Several teachers were lined against the walls all   
watching Dumbledore closely. An Auror stood in a corner, a hooded figure beside him and   
on the other side stood Sirius Black. Dumbledore finally looked up.  
  
"Ahh, Harry feeling a bit better?" All the twinkle in his eyes were gone.  
  
"Wait, the Quidditch match…and the girl." Harry said.  
  
"The Quidditch match has been canceled and will be held tomarrow." Dumbledore sighed,   
"The girl is with us no longer." Harry sat listeneing to the words but not really believeing it.  
  
"Could you tell us what happened?" Dumbledore asked leaning forward.  
  
Harry told them, net even having his voice catch. As he told the story the hooded figure   
sank lower before Sirius and the Auror caught it and led it over to sit. The hood fell back to   
reveal Professor Casar: but only a wraith of her former being. Black-purple hair was   
knotted and pale skin was stretched across prominent features. Harry recoiled in horror   
before Sirius could pull the hood forward. Harry groaned and rested his head against the   
back of the chair.  
  
"Pomfrey?" Dumbledore called, "Bring a sleeping draft."  
  
~~  
  
When Harry awoke Ron and Hermione were sitting by his bed staring anxiously at him.   
Hermione grinned in relief and Ron sighed.  
  
"Hey, Harry we didn't think you'd wake up in time." Ron said.  
  
"For what?" Harry asked.  
  
"The Quidditch match against Slytherin." Hermione answered. "Dumbledore wanted you to   
sleep to the last possible minute so you wouldn't have to think about…ahem.." Hemione   
trailed off. Harry nodded and looked over at Ron. He was staring at his hands and being   
awfully quiet. They went down to the field after Harry had changed and gotten his broom.   
Then they parted: Hermione and Ron to the oddly quiet crowd and himself to the line of   
teammates. The whistle sounded and he pushed off hard. The usually thrilling beginning   
made Harry nauseus. Harry gritted his teeth and fixed on thought in this head: Get the   
Snitch, Get the Snitch.  
  
"SPINNET ROCKETS DOWN THE FIELD…SHE—OHH, INTERCEPTED BY THE SLYTHERIN   
BEATER."   
  
Lee Jordan's magnified voice cut through Harry's thoughts and made his head pound and   
whirl. His stomach lurched. More urgently he flew around the field trying to find the Snitch   
and end this stupid game. The sneering face of Draco Malfoy didn't help much either.  
  
"Hey Potter, what's the matter? Scared of heights?" Harry contented himself with a glare   
directed at Malfoy. If you're going to throw up make sure it's all over him, Harry thought.  
  
"Slytherin scores." Lee annouced degectidily. Black spots danced before Harry's eyes, now   
he really had to end this game. Then Harry saw it. The Snitch glimmering between the   
branches on the end of the Gryffindor Keeper's broom. Harry tore after him. It wasn't long   
before Harry felt the beating of the Snitch's wings on his hand. He stopped dead. Big   
mistake. Hurtling toward the ground, Harry landed on his hands and knees. He knew he   
was going to pass out but not before he retched all over the Quidditch field.  
  
~~  
  
Days and even weeks passed before Harry ever woke up. And when he did the sad face of   
Dumbledore was focused before him.   
  
"What happened?" Harry groaned.  
  
"Seems you were selected to be that certain 5th year Gryffindor boy." Dumbledore   
answered.  
  
"Oh, Hermione told you."  
  
Dumbledore nodded," Yes, it seems they used a potion that could bring a vile disease to one   
person. It's a good thing that we caught it before it could become permanent."  
  
"Permanent?"  
  
"It needs a span of two days to attch itself. We caught it at the last possible moment."   
Harry leaned his head back against his pillow. THe killer had done it. They had struck 4   
time one attempt at the famous Harry Potter. So now what were they planning? "OH, and   
you have a note from someone." Dumbledore smiled and left so Harry could read it in   
private. Harry's heart lept, Cho? He unfolded the note.  
  
Harry,  
Hope your feeling better, but there is one thing both me and Dumbledore agree   
that you should know. Meet me in my office right after Pomfrey dismisses you.   
Bring no friends.  
  
Professor Casar  
  
Harry lept out of bed and rushed over to knock on Madam Pomfrey's office door.  
  
~~  
  
It took Harry literally an hour before he convinced Madam Pomfry to let him go but when he   
did he ran all the way to Casar's room. He knocked but heard no one inside. Carefully, he   
opened the door and entered. The room was in chaos. All her Seeing things were shattered   
on the floor, the fire roared as it consumed papers and all the things on the desk had been   
shoved off except for Casar's crystal ball. As Harry leaned over it the smoke parted and   
words formed:  
  
All I ask,  
Is that you pass,  
This way.  
Because who knows when,  
Time will end,  
And evil shall reign.  
  
It didn't stpe there, a ghostly arrow pointed out toward the window. Harry followed it to the   
window where it then pointed toward the grounds. He was about to tell Dumbledore when a   
girl's voice sang:  
  
Fear and pain,  
Fear and pain,  
Soon only evil shall reign.  
  
Harry frowned and then dashed up the Gryffindor Common Room to grab his Invisibility   
Cloak. Before he could get out of the portrait hole, Hermione blocked his way.  
  
"Where are you going?' She glared at him.  
  
"To talk to Professor Casar." Harry lied.  
  
Hermione brightened, "Can I go with you? Ron's off with his girlfriend."  
  
"No." Harry said flatly, "She only wants to talk to me."  
  
"Well, if you're going to be that way about it." Hermione sniffed, "I don't want to."  
  
"Fine." Harry said, he didn't want to be mean to Hermione but he had to get this lead while   
he had it. Quickly, Harry dodged Hermione and ran to the grounds throwing on the   
Invisibility Cloak. The arrow sat waiting. Harry followed into the Forbidden Forest.   
Everytime he would almost loose sight of it the song would start up and the arrow would   
grow more opaque. Suddenly the song grew louder and the arrow stopped before some   
bushes. Harry stepped through and couldn't move anymore.  
  
~~  
  
Hermione wandered the halls quite degectidly. Boys, she thought bitterly. Ron gone, and   
Harry and only Lavendar and Parvati left. They were nice but it would be her very last   
resort. Until then either walking the halls until a teacher warned her with a detention or the   
library seemed good. Just then Ron stumbled around the corner, robes askew and eyes   
wide and terrified.  
  
"Hermione!!." He exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah?" She asked.  
  
"Harry. Where has he gone?"  
  
"Nice to see you too. How would I know he just left." Hermione hissed getting angry that   
no one was telling her anything.  
  
"OH, great. It's alll my fault. I have to talk to Dumbledore." Ron moaned.  
  
Hermione grabbed his wrist, "Uh uh, nto until you tell me what's happening."  
  
"The killer, Hermione, he's gone after the killer."  
  
~~  
  
Harry parted the bushes and stepped through. The clearing was lighted by purple flameds   
and at the center, Professor Casar. She wasn't tied but her hood had fallen back, gray eyes   
staring around angerly. The song floated closer still before stopping directly behind Harry.  
  
"Well, hello Harry." Harry swiveled and amber eyes looked hungerly into his. "Fancy   
meeting you here." Melantha turned away from him and walked to the fiery cage. "Look   
what I caught!" She called gleefully to him. Casar's eyes changed to the slitted green and   
she spat at Melantha. It hissed as it fit the flames.  
  
"So it was you." Harry gaped in astonishment.  
  
Melantha turned away to look at Harry, "Oh, I wouldn't say me entirely, I'm just a decoy for   
the actual thing." She grinnned. "Yet another way Voldemort has infiltrated Hogwarts."   
Harry slowly back up. Melantha had grinned at him before starting to change before Harry's   
eyes. Dark brown hair replaced blonde and gray flesh replaced healthy pink skin. The   
same amber eyes stayed on Harry.  
  
"Do you like me better now Potter?" Her voice was rasping.  
  
"What do you want?" Harry asked quite shakily.  
  
"Oh, definatly not you, Potter!" she laughed, "Oh, no. Elké of the Animals wants revenge.   
You are only a special extra that my Lord will repay me greatly for." Elké ran her tounge   
over sharp fangs, "Or you might end up a tasty appitizer for me."  
  
"Don't scare him, Elké, you know your master would never reward you." Professor Casar   
said from where she was tied.  
  
Elké spun, "I would, he promised me Harry Potter before!"  
  
Casar snorted, "False promises, that's what the Lord of Darkness likes. He lives upon them,   
feeds upon them."  
  
Harry liked being temporarly forgotten. He looked around him, cluching his wand. There   
didn't look like there was anything keeping him from leaving. Carefully, Harry approached   
the bushes and reached his hand out. Next thing Harry knew was the cold grass and him   
sucking desperate lungfuls of air. Opening his eyes, a yell of surprise escaped him, a tiger   
was sitting directly on top of him.  
  
"Very stupid Potter, 5 years in the magical world and you still are totally clueless. Be   
careful or you will try my patience too much." With that the tiger changed to Elké who tied   
him to a magically conjured post.  
  
"You're…" Harry managed.  
  
"Elké of the Animals." She hissed rubbing her eyes, "Get the name now?" Harry nodded.   
Muffled laughter cam from the ring of flames. Elké spun to face Casar.  
  
"He told you everyone would know your name, right?" She asked, smirking weakly.  
  
"And my Lord has." Elké returned stiffly.  
  
"Then how come even the famous Harry Potter hasn't heard of you?" Elké didn't answer.   
"So he hasn't been good to you either." Harry noticed that Professor Casar's eyes were the   
slit-eyed green.  
  
"He has too!!" Elké cried furiously.  
  
"You doubt him though." Casar continued calmly.  
  
"Do you dare defy me?" Elké asked pulling out her wand and circling the outside of the   
magical flames. Harry tuned out of the conversation and tried the ties behind him. They   
were loose enough if only… Then he remembered the wand in his pocket. Harry twisted and   
almost had it when Elké turned to him. Happiness burned brightly in her amber eyes.  
  
"So you don't know about your precious teacher." Harry stared at her in blank confusion.  
  
"Can you tell me what those papers were that someone would deliver everyday?" Elké was   
inches from his face.  
  
"No." He stuttered. Harry looked at Casar. She was squeezing her eyes shut and muttering   
something under her breath.  
  
"You never knew that your teacher was the most celebrated killer among the Death Eaters?"   
Elké pried. Harry gulped, Her? A Death Eater?  
  
"And of all the things she's done? You've never heard of her?" Elké said with false sadness   
in her voice.  
  
"Harry deserves to hear it from me." Professor Casar had gotten to her feet.  
  
"Does he?" Elké hissed, "When were you going to tell him? When he was 20?"  
  
"I was going to tell him today but I ran out of time." Casar hissed back.  
  
"And you're running out of still more time before I lose my patience, story or no, and make   
you my dinner." Elké said.  
  
Quickly, Casar turned to Harry, her yellow-green eyes filled with sadness, " Harry, I was a   
hunter of men. Lord Voldemort directed me to anyone he wanted dead. I was no more   
human than he was, seeing because I was made by the Death Eaters." She smiled wryly,"   
Ever wonder why Severus was scared of me? It was because he made me. He was chief in   
my design, my use. I was made to be emotionless, heartless, ruthless. I killed without   
caring and without hearing their pleas. It was dark day when I got bored of using Avada   
Kedava and started thinking up more unpleasent ways to kill." Casar took a deep breath, all   
the while Elké was grinning,  
  
"Then, the bloodiest day of all wizard history. Lord Voldemort clashed with hundreds of   
wizard folk: Aurors, Ministry people, common wizards…" She drew another deep breath, a   
tear making a salty track down her face, "children. Voldemort's main insturment: me. I   
killed for him, did whatever he damn well pleased and at the end of the battle I had been   
hurt and he left me for the Ministry." Sadness changed to bitterness, "They sent me to   
Azkaban but I was immune to the Dementors and so I was sent to a special holding place   
at the Ministry building. One day, while plotting to break out of my cell, a young man of   
about 20 stopped by and stared in at me and as tears coursed down his face I decided to   
listen to what he had to say. 'I just wanted to see you,' he told me, 'because you killed my   
brother, but I forgive you.' I had been protected from anything that would affect my steel   
heart, but Voldemort didn't think about forgivness and since then I have been unceesingly   
searching for Death Eaters."  
  
"What a quaint little story." Elké said before turning into a tiger and circling the outside of   
the flames., "Now I am terrible hungry. You have ten seconds to think upa plan before   
you're my dinner."  
  
"May I have my wand?" Casar asked.  
  
"No, that would be too sportsmanlike."  
  
"Aww, just like your boyfriend, Voldie." Casar said sarcastically.  
  
"10…"  
  
Harry worked at his loose bonds, mind racing from Casar's storry and desperation.  
  
"9…"  
  
Almost done.  
  
"8,7,6,5…"   
  
Harry's arms dropped free and he grabbed his wand and aimed it at his feet. He hissed the   
Severing Charm.  
  
"4…"  
  
Unfortuently, his hands were shaking and he missed, instead severing the bottom of his   
robes. Harry tried again.  
  
"3…"  
  
Harry dropped from the pole and stayed crouched, hoping Elké didn't notice him. Harry   
noticed Professor Casar glancing around too before her eyes locked on his.  
  
"2…"  
  
She smiled sadly before blowing him a kiss and mouthing, 'Goodbye'.  
  
"1"  
  
~~  
  
As Elké jumped, Casar dropped and rolled. She hoisted a heavy stick and the two faced off.   
Casar would make a jab but Elké would sidestep with all the agility of the cat she was. As   
they backed toward Harry, he pulled his wand out and aimed carefully. AT the last instant   
Harry went a stream of sparks at Elké's flank. The large cat jumped and twisted around but   
not before Casar could land a few good blows. One struck the tiger on the side of the head.   
Quickly, Elké changed to a bird and circled the clearing.   
  
Suddenly, Casar dropped the stick. Harry's eyes widened, Was she crazy? Then he noticed   
that Casar's right hand glowed with a black light that swirled around her hip. She placed   
her hand asif to pull a sword from its scabbard. Drawing back her hand, a sword came with   
it. THe ring of steel resounded in the clearing.  
  
"Come and play, Elké. I didn't totally give up some of the things of the Dark. Even though   
now they serve a better cause: slewing you."  
  
The bird dropped, changing into a mouse.  
  
"Shit." She swore.  
  
Elké reappered as herself right behind Casar. Elké clubbed Casar at the side of the   
head,barely missing her temple. It took Harry an instant to realize that Elké had her own   
sword. Casar swiveled and swung, blade met blade in a flash of sparks. They parried   
before drawing apart, circling and studiying their rival. Casar stepped forward first feinting   
with the dark colored blade but swung her foot in a roundhouse kick. The kick landed   
squarely but when Elké lost her balance her blade ripped Casar's robe and skin along her   
left side. Panting and holding her hand to her wound, which bled a weird lubricant blue   
color blood, Casar leveled her sword's point at Elké's throat.  
  
"Now we finally see who lives and…Damn!" Elké had shrunk to the size of an insect. Casar   
plunged her sword into the soil and began chanting. Another gray mist gathered in her   
hands, instead it solidified into a roiling sphere.  
  
"The cowardly is the one who runs, now we know who is the more cowardly." Professor   
Casar's green slit-eyes glittered maliciously, "Come and get me."  
  
As if excepting the invitation a sphere came flying toward the Professor even before Harry   
saw Elké. Casar threw up a magical shield and launched her own. Elké split the sphere   
inhalf and blocked the blows Casar delivered. Quite suddenly Elké's sword flew straight and   
true gouging deep into her rival's sword arm. As soon as Casar bgan to fall, Elké shape   
shifted to the tiger once more. Pouncing and pinning Casar to the ground the tiger took one   
of her claws and placed it over Casar's heart.  
  
"I'm sorry. You were so much fun." Raking a claw diagonally and againg diagonally from   
the other side making an 'x', "X marks the spot." She hissed, usinga newly transfigured   
human hand to draw her sword.  
  
Harry sat in the bushes near them, racking his brain for a good spell, but dammit if his mind   
hadn't gone blank.  
  
Professor Casar's hadn't. Reaching for her own sword, sneakily she whispered, "I had fun   
too, but goodbye." Quick as lightening Casar's sword flashed up and into the tiger's heart.   
THe animal screamed as Casar twisted the sword. Unfortuently, Elké intent on killing the   
woman below her also somewhat hit her mark in a final burst of energy. Casar found her   
own scream mingled with the tiger's. However, Elké of the Animals dropped first and only   
when she had given her last death throw did Harry emerge from his hiding to see his   
Professor.  
  
She was grinning when Harry knelt over her. Her eyes locked on his, the green eyes no   
longer frightening but friendly.  
  
"Harry," She whispered, "Look." She brushed her hand past her breast where the sword   
had hit(she had pulled it out). Holding up her hand next to Harry's face, he saw dark red   
,wet blood.  
  
"Look, I bleed red. Like the rest of you. I taste the coppery taste the rest of you taste. I am   
finally human." She was right, instead of blue she bled a dark red.  
  
"Get me my sword please." Casar whispered. Harry's stomach roiled as he wrenched it   
froom the tiger. He tried to hand it to her but she wrapped his fingers around it until Harry   
felt it bite into his hands. "It's yours. My gift…to you. May it always be faithful to you."   
Casar coughed, a thing trickle of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. "Here take the   
scabbard." She unbukled a scabbard that had been hidden before. After handing it to   
himshe smiled at him and brushed his cheek, where a tear had escaped from Harry's eye;   
accidently smearing her own blood on his cheek. Professor Casar's eyes rolled to the back   
of her head and she sucked her final breath…smiling.  
  
~~  
  
It took Harry til mid-morning to struggle onto the grounds of Hogwarts at last. He   
staggered past Hagrids empty hut. However he barely remembered that someone lived   
there. Harry ignored the stares he got from fellow students he knew he looked terrible.   
Robes torn and bloody, carrying a sword. He finally reached Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Hello Harry." Dumbledore voiced. Only Snape and McGonagall were there, except for   
Hermione and Ron against the wall. Harry told his story quietly and monotone until the   
end.  
  
"She didn't get to finish did she?" Dumbledore prodded the misty contents of the pensieve,   
"This is how I remember Tierney Casar. She wasn't' the most powerful dark wizard but she   
was close 1st. She was quite correct in saying she got bored with Avada Kedava. The   
Ministry was in an uproar."   
  
Harry watched as the dark witch revolved, her feet in the mist. She had a sword strapped   
to her hip, a throwing knife in her boot,a dagger on the other side of her hip, and a wand   
she carried in her hand. Then the misty figure pulled aside the front of her robes to reveal   
a Muggle pistol in a shoulder holster.  
  
"She was proud of her pistol because no wizard was suspecting it. Tierney also had a spell   
on it so the bullet would travel deep and couldn't be extracted." Dumbledore pulled another   
memory fron his mind and placed it in the pensieve. Another Tierney appered beside the   
other.  
  
"After she was captured by the Ministry, she wanted to become more human, see when she   
was taken and converted to the Dark side, the Death Eaters sucked out her old soul with a   
Dementor and was given a new soul and an artifical heart with artifical blood. It made her   
seemingly unbeatable. The papers the Sirius would bring in a folder was information on   
becoming more human. The magical tranformations exhausted her toward the end of the   
year and she was overwhelmed by all that she could feel. Lord Voldemort knew exactly   
when to send another servant to strike."  
  
"Wait," Harry managed," Why was she so overwhelmed?"  
  
"Oh, sorry I thought maybe she had told you." Dumbledore apologized, "Also Voldemort   
wanted someone who could fight perfectly in all conditions. The solution? He made her   
immune to feeling cold, rain and other things. He didn't forget to give her a function that   
whenever there was a problem she thought and stayed awake utnil it was solved. Since   
Tierney was more human it wore her down when her rival began the killings. Anymore   
questions Harry?"  
  
"Yeah, the sword. What should I do with it?"  
  
"Keep it. I'm assuming that Tierney sealed it with your blood?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I guess, I'm not to sure." Harry said.  
  
"Did it have your blood and her's on it?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then yes, it will serve only you."  
  
~~  
  
Harry, Hermione and Ron were walking down to the medical ward.  
  
"Hey Harry I'm really sorry." Ron started miserably, "I was under the Imperius Curse."  
  
"It doesn't matter." Harry said shrugging.  
  
"But I should have fought it!" Ron exclaimed, "This is the second time a Weasley had been   
controlled!"  
  
Harry really didn't know what to say. Instead Harry put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "It's   
okay, your still my friend, you always will be."  
  
~~  
  
Harry was sitting up in his bed in the hospital, clutching Tierney Casar's sword. He had   
been up for the longest time just thinking. Suddenly, a warm breeze swirled past his ear.   
Harry looked up and saw the window open. Harry sat up to go close it when a figure   
solidified in front of him. It was Tierney Casar. She waved and smiled.  
  
"Thank you Harry. Use my sword only toward evil." She grinned and ruffled his hair with a   
translucent hand. Turning, she flew out the window and swung it shut. Harry smiled and   
set the sword down beside his bed.  
  
"Don't worry. I will"  
  
  
  
  
A/N: REVIEW!!!!! It really pisses me off that I spend soooo much time typing and writing   
this that no one comments. Except for the last four that did THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!  
  
  



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